Mario Gotze has said that former Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp is his footballing father

Gotze also described Pep Guardiola, his manager at Bayern, as lacking human touch and empathy

In latest Liverpool News, the 26-year-old also said that he still hopes of working with Klopp again

Mario Gotze, once counted the most celebrated footballing talents on this planet, has largely been in the shadows for quite some time now. The fall has been rather drastic for a player of his talent, potential and possibilities. Despite that memorable winner in the final of 2014 World Cup in Brazil, it can be said that Gotze’s downfall coincided with him deciding to leave boyhood club Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2013.

Moving on from the comforts of working with an enigma like Jurgen Klopp, the then 21-year-old was at the peak of his powers and was expected to hit even greater heights under the astute guidance of Pep Guardiola in Munich. However, it never happened and Gotze’s time at Bayern was marred by injuries and poor form.

Klopp my footballing father, Pep lacks human touch: Gotze

Back in the familiar climes of Dortmund now, Gotze has reflected on how it was to work under two of the most celebrated managers of this generation. The attacking midfielder some of the best football of his life under Jurgen Klopp and has hailed him as his “footballing father”, while also stating that it is the current Liverpool manager’s human qualities that set him apart from Pep Guardiola.

Gotze also concedes that after moving from Dortmund to Bayern as a 21-year-old, the change from one style of management to another brought a testing period of adjustment in his life.

“Pep Guardiola was technically one of the best coaches, [playing under him was a] tremendous enrichment. But I had the feeling that he thinks only on the pitch and leaves out the people and the outside. The empathy was not that big,” he said.

“It was not easy for me, just because I came from Kloppo, who was like a footballing father. Pep was the complete difference. A world-class coach needs empathy, every athlete is also human and you should combine both tactics and empathy.”

“Desire to work with Klopp still exists”

On to some Liverpool News now as Gotze also revealead that he had a chance of reuniting with Klopp at Liverpool before deciding to move back to Signal Iduna Park after leaving Bayern Munich in 2016. “I decided to leave Bayern and Jurgen Klopp was interested in getting me to Liverpool. And I was also interested in working with him again,” he explained.

The 26-year-old also said that he still hopes to reunite and work with his mentor once more. “It [the desire to work with Klopp again] still exists. He is a world-class coach and that’s why it’s always an option. I decided to join Borussia Dortmund, but it was not a decision against Liverpool or Jürgen Klopp,” Gotze stated.